Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party)
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A point that is often raised with me is that it is the applicant who is employing someone to do an EIA on behalf of the development for which he or she is applying. There is a question around whether the applicant is objective in respect of the findings, recommendations, mitigations or whatever it might be arising out of the assessment. In some European countries, I understand, the assessment is not done by the applicant but is carried out independently by a third party. Are the witnesses aware of that process? All member states are governed by the same EU directives but, obviously, local and national laws govern how the directives are applied.